Job Brockett d.1705

Job BROCKETT d.1705

Biographical Note

Born in Surrey. BA Queens' College, Cambridge 1667, MA 1670. Schoolmaster at Haslingfield, Cambridgeshire 1671-74, curate of Barley 1674, rector of Royston 1688; first fellow (i.e. preacher) at Alleyn's College, Dulwich 1701.

Books

In his will, Brockett directed that many of his large format scholarly books be given to Dulwich College: "to the public library of the said College all my books in folio that are printed in the Latin or Greek tongue ... also these English books in folio namely Sir Nathaniel Brent's A History of the Council of Trent Dr Burnett's History of the Reformation of the Church of England in two volumes Dr Cudworth's True Intellectual System of the Universe Bishop Bramhall's Works and Dr Jackson's Works in three volumes and Origen Contra Celsum in quarto all which books I desire the master warden and fellows would make a just catalogue to be kept in the Library to store them the better for their ... posterity". The remainder of his library was bequeathed to his brother in law Thomas Wood of Croydon. Job Brockett did himself receive some books through the will of his brother Francis, the Master of Alleyn's College from 1662 until his death in 1680, who left him "all those books of mine of such sort or edition he hath not any of his own".

We do not know the extent or fate of the books left to Wood but 48 titles in 95 volumes were received by the School and recorded in their catalogue. The books are a mixture of patristic texts and biblical commentaries with a smaller number of classical and devotional titles, mostly 17th century imprints with a small handful of 16th century ones, and most are still in the school library today.

Characteristic markings

Brockett's books are mostly bound in simply tooled calf bindings of their time, a number of them evidently Cambridge work. He did not inscribe, mark or annotate his books.

Sources

• Dulwich College MS VI, fo.155r.
• Venn, J. and J. A., Alumni Cantabrigieneses, Cambridge, 1922.